The Gravewood

Gr 8 Up–A haunting YA horror novel that will leave teens desperate for the next page. Shea Parker has spent her life hemmed in by her isolated town and the ominous forest known as the Gravewood, a place thick with secrets, where wandering too far means losing yourself for good. Shea, who reads as white and is hearing impaired, strikes an uneasy bargain with local vampire Oliver Lysander: batteries for her hearing aid in exchange for her blood. But when her best friend, Ellie, vanishes and Ellie’s brother Asher returns to search for her, Shea and her loyal friend Poppy are pulled into a deeper, deadlier mystery, one that forces Shea to renegotiate her pact with Lysander. Andrew crafts an immersive, beautifully haunted world where humans and monsters coexist uneasily, and the tension between them crackles. Shea’s grit and vulnerability, paired with Lysander’s brooding allure, anchor a compelling love triangle that will keep readers hooked. Strong disability and LGBTQIA+ representation, along with thoughtful attention to themes of abuse and bullying, deepen the emotional resonance.